Adrian Peterson vows he and fellow National Football League players, including Baker Mayfield will kneel during National Anthem.
A chorus of players plan to kneel in solidarity when the season kicks off in September after George Floyd, 58 years-old died in police custody.
Floyd's death sparked a national outcry following the deaths of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery.
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| John McDonnell/The Washington Post |
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said he would join his Cleveland teammates in kneeling after a follower asked him on Instagram not to join teammates and others across the league.
“Pull your head out. I absolutely am, ” Mayfield responded.
“Everybody so upset about my comment doesn’t understand the reasoning behind kneeling in the first place,” Mayfield later wrote, further explaining his decision, per FOX News.
”Nate and Kap came to an agreement that kneeling was the most respectful way to support our military while also standing up for equality.”
Mayfield, Peterson, and other athletes, including Trae Young are aware they will alienate a portion of their fan base – the keep politics out of sports crowd.
“I definitely lost a couple of followers for speaking my voice and speaking my opinion,” Young said in a conference call, per The Oklahoman. “That’s OK. That’s necessary.”
Young, 21, recognizes the impact he has through sports, pledging $4M toward a Norman Sports Complex, and speaking out about Julius Jones’ case.
“For me being a basketball player and the way I’m looked at, I know I have a lot of privileges. I’m looked at a certain way and I know I have a platform," Young said, via The Oklahoman.
"Being a Black athlete is definitely something I’m aware of and I know it’s something I need to speak on it. I know I’m not just a basketball player. I’m a role model."
